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Month: March 2015

This was an interesting process for me. I did a first draft with Jing and it was horrible — though it did give me practice. I talked with one of our Academic ITS people and he turned me onto Chrome Screencastify. This version is my second go with that product. To my thinking this is adequate, but, I think better is possible, though perhaps not with free products. Oddly enough publishing it was interestingly challenging. Ostensibly you can simply upload to YouTube, alas, that didn’t work for me. In the end WordPress came through and even though this installation isn’t “live” (soon it will be my e-portfolio, but for now it is in development) you should be able to view the screen cast. I think I can get away with my use of the segment under Fair Use, alas, while Pharrell probably wouldn’t be a chump about it, NBC might. So I am casting about for other examples for avoiding weaknesses and focusing on strengths.

7 thoughts on “Bob’s Screen Cast”

Kim

March 25, 2015 at 7:29 pm

Hi Bob,

I’m glad you did this. I wouldn’t have ever thought of doing a web tour, but it was a great idea. There were no distractions and it was very natural sounding like you were just sitting next to another person and walking around the gallup site. My favorite part was at the very end when you said, ‘you know your strengths are, we are doing this so we can discover them’. I think that was a really powerful concept to bring out and a great note to end on. I would love to side chat some time about how much time you are able to spend on strengths training for your team and find out what activities are working for you. How much individual work do you get in before you jump into the team stuff? Stuff like that:)

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Bob

March 28, 2015 at 4:33 am

Kim, I’m certainly willing to talk about this further. I will say that our program to create a library wide student employee career path was interrupted and broken. I have a project for this Spring and Summer to redo that work. While I am optimistic about this new opportunity I am also frustrated that we are doing this work anew again, rather than being further along. So, I am just now introducing the emphasis on strengths to our entire staff, not just, student employees. I think an important value it introduces is looking at the good in our co-workers rather then their weaknesses. It is a timely roll-out as it fits well with our new President’s values.

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Tatiana

March 27, 2015 at 3:08 pm

Hi Bob, I found the content of your screencast very interesting. We do not always think about our strengths (and if you are like me you think more of weaknesses because they are more noticeable, I think). What I also liked about your screencast is that you have shared found resources simultaneously with delivering course content and sharing your own experience like with taking StrengthTests. It really put things in perspective for me and eased a fear that I might potentially fail these tests (if that makes sense).

The background noise was distracting though ? If you are looking for a good screencasting free piece of software I highly recommend http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/. There is a web-based version and an app you can download to your computer. It gives you some editing capabilities (even with free account) connects directly to your YouTube account, allows you to download your video on your computer in mp4 format, which you can also bring into video-editing software where you can clean up extraneous noise a little. I swear by it.

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Bob

March 28, 2015 at 4:28 am

Tatiana, thanks for the recommendation. I was annoyed with both Jing and Screencastify because they produce files that are not editable. I’ll look at Screencast-o-matic.

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Kim

March 28, 2015 at 1:47 pm

When we first started strengths our department of 3 staff and 2 student employees all did it. I think it helped the student employees to have all of using the same language. I know it helped me as a supervisor get to know what motivates each member of my time. I was not able to edit using keynote and quicktime. I was glad it was a short assignment because I just had to keep starting over.

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Owen

March 30, 2015 at 2:37 pm

Lots of good stuff here, Bob. Nice job on the web tour and I agree with Kim and Tatiana’s comments about the presentation and the content.

I thought your screen cast was great and I liked how you led us through your thinking and some of the results. You had a reflective quality, which is often hard to project. As soon as we turn on the record button, it often becomes hard to continue to think…we tend to switch over into narration mode.

Too bad the audio on the clip was a bit weak. I’m wearing headphones and I struggled to hear the first portion until you turned it up. (But I’m sure you’re aware of that)…

How long does it take to assess one’s strengths? Is it an arduous survey that then reveals some sort of strength scores based on how you respond to various questions? Or is it more self-assessment based? Curious.

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Owen

March 30, 2015 at 2:56 pm

On the subject of various screencasting solutions… I’d throw out another vote for Quicktime. I know the updated mac client allows for easy screen video capture, and I believe the PC one does as well. And it is free. I’ve had some luck with screen-cast-o-matic as well… but it can be a bit twitchy with java requirements and so on. Lastly, my new favorite is ScreenFlow. If you do much video editing, the screen capture tool within screen flow is a wonderful professional level tool also.

5 thoughts on “LMS Comparison Business POV”

I like your UBD Tree “deconstructed.” Did you find the little fillable boxes annoying? Are you more comfortable with this more linear format?

I too think more quickly and more clearly within the confines of a word or google document.

I’d be curious as to your thoughts on this exercise as a process tool? What do you think about “charting” as a design process?

I know your thinking on your own subject is quite evolved, and this is reflected in the flow of your Leadership and Management design – from Essential Questions through Learning Logs (forums) as assessments, and into traditional content areas such as training videos, research, and mentor feedback.

-Owen

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Bob

March 25, 2015 at 9:27 am

Yup, the little boxes pinched and chaffed a bit. That admitted I am suspicious of my response to the text. I am holding open the possibility that in a different circumstance that chart might be the right tool. Right here and now the linear path got it done. I wonder if in a collaborative setting that chart might be a way for content expert and instructional designer to work together? I wonder as well if particular disciplines might call for that approach, say, poetry, for example. I recall last semester we were wrangling over the laboratory component of science instruction. I wonder as well about the studio component of arts courses in the online venue. Perhaps the chart has a place in helping me connect with those teachers?

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Owen

March 23, 2015 at 5:16 pm

…and on your paper…

Interesting point about the LMS in the workplace. I completely agree that most companies aren’t going to encourage “open learning” – so much effort is bent and focussed on combing and preening the corporate image, tolerance for behind the scenes exposure will be extremely low, I would think.

Wow. In addition to a simple tool evaluation, your paper addresses such a complex and very interesting topic. … I hardly know where to begin.

Sort of stream of consciousness – I think it interesting that Oxford Online uses Moodle. I’ve also been intrigued by edX and Canvas. The advantage that Blackboard offers is institutional security – that is, large departments can feel secure in knowing that they’re purchasing the Chevy Caprice of LMS Learning Taxis. The one thing about Blackboard (Bb) is that their pricing is also institutionally variable. There is entry level pricing to entice the institution and once your institution is invested, prices and service contracts may increase.

Years ago I was involved with a Major LMS/Campus Software system upgrade. The small college I was working for had a terrible system that was horrendously expensive through Campus America. It operated on an antiquated VAX computer… and was incredibly unapproachable. I was head of IT at the time and after a year of deliberations, we purchased a new product based on WindowsNT servers, super user friendly, much easier to maintain, etc… Product was called TEAMS. We got through a year of installation and data conversion and finally decommissioned the old VAX server… two months later the company was purchased by Campus America… It was a good system while it lasted, but I fear the future was not bright at that point.

There are so many factors. Faculty, Students, IT, costs. Even maintenance philosophies and capacities within IT departments can be highly variable and extremely important. UAA and UAF both have Blackboard, but UAF’s installation is several versions ahead, and UAA’s support staff is a small fraction of UAF’s.

I’m intrigued that Google has backed edX’s open platform efforts. I like the platform and am hopeful for a bright future funded by our click-generated dollars. Check out Mooc.org…

Thanks for the reviews and for opening the can of worms that is the LMS debate.

-owen

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Tatiana

March 27, 2015 at 2:31 pm

I am surprised that you did not go deeper in evaluating Moodle (the open source version). I find there are two main features that IT departments are looking for: scaleability, cost, and security. Incidentally, free Moodle offers all three. Additionally as far as features go, I actually find Moodle more powerful than Blackboard. There are a lot of additional features available that are built-in. One that I think any professional trainer will appreciate is called Workshop and allows you to build branching scenarios (which are at the core of instructional design for training purposes, I think). The interface for building is a bit complicated at first, but you can create SCORM-comparable training modules without purchasing SCORM building software like Articulate.

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Bob

March 28, 2015 at 4:04 am

While Owen assigned us a paper on “product comparison” in the end my paper was about decision models and organizational change management. There are literally hundreds of LMS products. That and the realization that in a business case an HR department will be running the training program. This means that other factors need to be included in the review of LMS products, like the suite of HR tools the LMS is embedded in or at least integrated with matters too. For example, an employees personal file is accurately and immediately and hopefully automatically updated based on LMS results. So my examples were more foils for the other discussion, however, they were selected based on being full featured, then on being very different from each other.

I think this is the illest homework I’ve had in a long time. I just downloaded Audacity and started messing about. Used the man-cubs gaming headset for the microphone (he’s off to college so all the toys are mine). I think this gets the job done but I see lots of ways to get better.

3 thoughts on “Bob’s Talkin’ Thang”

Kim

March 9, 2015 at 8:48 am

Hi Bob, good content. I liked hearing you are incorporating strengths language. Just out of curiosity…Do you have them do a strengths inventory? Do they do any further exploration with that? I am trying to get the time with my student government but find that we have to spend so much time on management training, we don’t get to spend enough in leadership training. I liked the way you made that distinction by the way. The only thing I would really change would be the music over voice in the very beginning. That was a bit distracting.

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Owen

March 9, 2015 at 5:45 pm

Hey Bob,

I can imagine you recording a whole series of audio podcasts with similar background music. You could set the tone of the whole course on a very mellow track if you so chose. I’m coming at this at the end of a very busy stressful day and just the opening few bars made me want to grab a beer and chill out – listen to what you had to say. There’s something to be said for that. Maybe, however, all you need is a few bars, then fade the music a bit more as you speak. You could bring it back, with a swell…then chime in again… sort of like a “this American Life” effect. There is so much to do with sound… An enjoyable first pass.

-Owen

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Tatiana

March 9, 2015 at 6:55 pm

Hi Bob, I agree with Kim that music over voice was distracting. I also agree with Owen about beer and chill ? If you limit the music to few bars in the beginning there is nothing that says you cannot have a longer segment at the end of the podcast (in fact, I think it would be nice, especially with your choice of music). Good job!

I am completely aware that what I am doing for assessment in this training module is situation specific. In another workplace, tests and quizzes, might be appropriate. Likewise, a rubric similar to the example from Arizona, or even one more traditionally classroom shaped might be appropriate. The hard question is do I have the skills and the language to do that work too?

In response to Owen’s comment about the value of rubrics particularly for those performing at the lower end of the skill set, motivation and self-discipline. I understand in both the classroom and the workplace, since I have awarded failing grades and terminated employees. Additionally, I will be challenging my staff to do more with rubrics in relation to workplace performance. The obvious benefit is greater consistency in evaluation. However, an important and often understated benefit is getting unspoken expectations articulated. In a multi-generational, multi-cultural, and variable skill/experience workplace unspoken expectations are unfair and the cause of stress.

This segues into why I am emphasizing “learning logs” in this module. I am concurrently teaching the module on professional demeanor that I designed last semester. Using the forums as a “learning log” is working well in this situation. “Working well” means, employees are engaging with me and with each other and most of the feedback is gentle and cheerful. Admittedly some of the topical posting is answers that “I want to hear.” However, we have created a venue where we can have a conversation about the kind of workplace we want to create and inhabit and the student employees are part of that. Accordingly, their membership in the team is greater and their accountability is higher too. We evaluate their performance in the workplace. Sometimes that results in progressive discipline and ends in termination. Most frequently, it involves coaching for improvement and recognition of solid performances. Sometimes it results in encouragement to apply for supervisory openings.

We had some confusion and some resistance to participation in this training module from a handful of employees at the outset. I choose to handle it in the workplace and through the chain-of-command. I spoke with my library coordinators (the direct supervisors of the student staff). I asked about how they presented the training to these new hires? It was here that we encountered an ambiguity two had made very clear explanations of expectations; one had been vague and open-ended. That supervisor met in person with each employee and re-explained the expectations. She also encouraged them to talk with me directly. I have had three conversations. Time management has been a recurrent concern. One person expressed concern about discomfort with one of the assignments. I have learned several lessons: one is about cognitive load, second is about framing some flexibility into the assignments, third is about the students’ unfamiliarity with online learning environments. Two of my library coordinators were uncommitted, at the outset, to this form of training. This showed in their direct reports initial participation. However, as my staff has joined the conversation their misgivings have been allayed.

In this context approaching the conversation as “learning logs” is working. As I mentioned, I liked looking at the postings in terms of clarity, analysis, relevance, and self-reflection. However, I do not see the value of adding the matrix of low, medium and high quality at least in terms of individual postings in the online venue. I think each library coordinator is following along and is getting a sense of that for themselves and their direct reports. Training is one column in our employee evaluation and this adds information to that column, however, non-participation speaks more loudly, and will ultimately influence our decision to not rehire an employee.